Alex Rider: Silver Flame
by xFarFromHavenx
Summary: After Dragon Nine, he thought they were done with him. He was wrong. Scorpia is back and more powerful than ever, with a new plan that could not only kill Alex, but wipe an entire country off the map. **CHAPTER 10 NOW UP!** ---Reviews are appreciated!---
1. Chapter 1: A New Plan

A New Plan

**A New Plan**

A streak of lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the entire island of Manhattan in a blinding, white light which lasted only a few seconds. The rain continued coming down, falling faster than before. Before anyone could have guessed it, the streets were quickly flooded, the rainwater rushing into the sewers.

A sleek, black sports car suddenly turned the corner around a small apartment house and started to pick up speed as it drove down a dark and foggy street. The driver's face would be hidden from any onlookers, due to the dark, tinted windows of the car. The car sped past a numerous amount of small shops, apartment buildings, and office buildings, before finally coming to a stop next to a curb in front of a twenty-story office building. The car's engine was then shut off.

The back door behind the driver was opened, and a man in a large, black trench coat climbed out. He then shut the door behind him, and went over to the passenger side door. He reached into his coat and pulled out a small umbrella, which he unfastened and opened. Holding the umbrella in his right hand, he bent down and opened the passenger door.

The man in the passenger seat got out of the car, and went under the umbrella that the other man was holding. The man in the trench coat then handed the umbrella to the passenger, who shook the excess water out of his black, scraggly hair, and took the umbrella. He was wearing a black, neatly tailored suit, and dark sunglasses that disguised his eyes. He wasn't wearing a jacket, but that didn't matter, since the car was already parked close to the entrance of the building. Before the man could start walking away from the car, the man with the trench coat spoke.

"Do you want the car parked somewhere else, Mister Valson?" The man had a slight hint of an Australian accent in his voice, but he talked in near-perfect English.

Valson looked over at the man and shook his head briefly. He spoke with a strong British accent. "No. Keep it here, the meeting won't be long."

The man handed over the umbrella, and Valson took it gratefully. The rain was coming down even harder now than before, making him have to squint to see through the dense fog. Valson then stepped away from the car, and started walking towards the building. There was barely any traffic, partly due to the late evening hours, but mostly due to the weather. The man picked up his pace, hurrying across the street, and arriving at the revolving doors of the entrance. He pushed through the revolving doors and stepped into the main lobby of the building.

The lobby was not at all like the kind of lobby that would be seen in an office building. The beautiful, marble flooring expanded throughout the entire space of the room, and seemed to sort of meet the reflective wood paneling along the walls. There were several other doors along the other sides of the room, all of which lead to different office rooms. A large, glass chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting light down into the spacious room. There were several potted plants positioned around the room, as well. Various pieces of furniture were placed around the room, with leather couches placed along side each other in the center of the room and along the walls, some with oak tables in front of them and some without. Valson made his way through the room, and went over to the elevators on the right of the main desk. He came up to the nearest elevator, which was already opened, and stepped inside of it. He pressed one of the buttons on the control panel, and the elevator started to rise. A few moments later, the elevator soon slowed to a stop, and the door slid open. Valson walked out of the elevator and into the hallway, heading down the hallway, picking up his pace as he went. He walked past several doors with signs mounted near them, each of them reading either a room number or a room title. Soon, he arrived at one of the doors nearest the end of the corridor. There was no sign saying what the room was, or what number it was. Without hesitation, Valson pushed the door open and walked inside.

The new room that he was in was about the size of a dining room. There was only one window, which covered one entire wall, and looked out over the view of the Manhattan Island. There was a large, wooden table made out of a rare type of wood that stood in the center of the room, and along the two longer sides of it sat exactly seven people, all of them dressed as if they were part of an important business meeting. Everyone looked up at Valson as he walked in, but nobody said anything. They all knew why they were here, and all of them knew what the meeting was going to be about.

None of them were businessmen. That was for certain. Each person sitting around the table was a board member for the crime organization known as Scorpia. Sabotage, corruption, intelligence, and assassination. Each member of the board knew each other. Some had tried to kill each other, others had worked together. However, no matter what they're past problems or associations with each other were, they were now all united under Scorpia. Their name was heard of all around the world. Certain secret service agents, government officials, and even local law enforcement officials have all somewhere along the line run into something Scorpia related, whether it was an assassination or assassination attempt, vandalism, bribery, or mass destruction on a large scale. Scorpia was once a much feared name. However, lately, that had changed.

Valson walked over to far end of the table and sat down. He cast a quick glance around at each of the faces that were now looking at him, and recognized a few of them from either the news, or from pictures in newspapers and magazines. All of them were well known for their crimes, but none of them boasted about it. They did what they did not for recognition, but for profit. Each crime they committed was actually an assignment given to them by a specific 'customer'. For example, if a very rich businessman in Russia wanted his opposing company's owner to be done away with, Scorpia would make that happen, and in return, the Russian would give them the money that he had promised them. Scorpia did nothing just for the thrill of it or the recognition for it. They did everything for money.

However, lately, things had taken a turn for the worst. Two past board members had died, within the span of four months. The first was Julia Rothman, the second Winston Yu. Valson was the new head of the board, but he was unnerved by the fact that two previous board directors had died so very close together in terms of time. However, Valson had not called this board together to discuss a new proposal from a new customer. This time, he had only one thing in mind, and that was what he wanted to discuss with the board.

"Good morning, everyone," Valson began. "My name, as you all may already know, is Michael J. Valson. I am the new head of the board for Scorpia. I have asked you all to be here today to discuss our next assignment. As I am well aware, our projects have failed not once, but twice before. First there was Invisible Sword. I need not remind you of what happened there. Five months ago, there was the failure at Dragon Nine. I assume that you all know what caused these failures, am I correct?"

No one at the table said anything. They were all thinking the exact same thing.

Valson continued a few moments later. "That schoolboy, Alex Rider. He caused Invisible Sword to fail. He was there at Dragon Nine, which means that he must have had some part in the destruction of Royal Blue. Now I ask you, ladies and gentlemen," There were two women in the room. "What do you propose we do about this boy?"

One of the women spoke. "A schoolboy?"

Valson nodded. "Yes. Alex Rider, however, is no ordinary boy."

He slid his hand onto the table and picked up a small object. There were four or five buttons on it, none of them labeled. Valson aimed the remote at the wall behind him, and pressed one of the buttons on the left of the object. Suddenly, a white overhead screen slowly came down. Valson aimed up the remote up at the ceiling and pressed another button. One of the ceiling tiles slid to the right, and a small projector protruded down from the ceiling. It clicked on, and suddenly the lights in the room dimmed.

The screen projected a picture of a boy, with fair, brown hair, and a lean, fit body. He looked to be about fourteen or fifteen, and was standing next to a man who looked sort of similar to the boy himself.

Valson continued to speak. "The boy on the right is Alex Rider. On the right is Ian Rider. This picture was taken almost a year and a half ago, back when Ian Rider was still alive. He was murdered a few months after this picture was taken, by one of our very own."

Valson pressed another picture onto the screen. It was a picture of an aging man, with swept-back graying hair, and dead, lifeless eyes. "This is Alan Blunt. I am sure that you all know who he is. Head of MI6 Special Services. And this –"

He projected a new picture up on the screen. It showed a woman in her mid thirties to early forties, with short, black hair, and dark brown eyes. She was wearing an expensive-looking business suit, and seemed to be looking at something past the camera.

"Is Tulip Jones," Valson ignored the man on his left who stifled a laugh after hearing her first name. "She is the head of Special Operations for MI6. Her, along with Blunt are both very powerful, and persuasive. I know this from experience."

He paused and coughed, then continued on.

"About one year and a half ago, Alan Blunt recruited a teenage boy by the name of Alex Rider to MI6. It was, and still partially is to date, the most outrageous and incredulous thing that any secret service agency has ever done. Recruiting a fourteen-year-old schoolboy to be a spy?" He paused. "It seemed like it was mad to do it at that time. However, Alex Rider has been successful for each and every assignment that MI6 asked him to do. The third assignment that he was recruited for, however, was by the CIA. The Dragon Nine catastrophe was a task forced upon him by the Australian Secret Service. So far, Rider has worked for MI6, the CIA, and the ASIS.

Valson pressed a different button on the remote and a new picture came up, this one of a short, stocky man with thick black hair, and sunglasses covering his eyes. Valson continued to talk. "This is Herod Sayle. He was the man behind the Stormbreaker project. He was killed on the same day when every single Stormbreaker computer was supposed to be brought online. Alex Rider proved that every single computer contained a lethal virus; one that could have killed millions of innocent children and teachers if the computers were activated. Rider prevented that by destroying the command console that was supposed to bring the computers online.

Moving his finger over, Valson pressed a different button on the remote, showing a large, modern building perched near a mountain peak; the snow covered mountain range around it reflecting in the camera.

"There were a few other incidents that Rider was involved in. Point Blanc, an all-boy's academy in Scandinavia was shut down, due not only to the abuse of children, but also to the fact that the man who ran the academy, 'Doctor Grief', was mad, and was trying to actually _clone _the boys who went there. Rider, of course, proved what Grief was doing, and helped lead the assault that shut down the place for good.

Valson clicked his finger on a button on the remote quickly now, going through the pictures a bit faster. The picture that was now on the screen showed a map picture of a small island near Cuba.

"Rider was then sent to a small island in the Mediterranean region, known as Skeleton Key. His reasons being there are unknown to us at the moment, but the man who Rider was surveying killed himself, also for reasons that are not yet known to us.

A new picture flashed up onto the screen. Damian Cray was seen on the overhead now, shaking hands with the American president. Valson still continued to talk.

"Damian Cray, as I'm sure you all know well by now, was world renowned. Wanting to help the environment, his songs about humanity, Cray seemed to be a very good man. However, his ways of going about to get his goals and dreams accomplished were far from humane. It was said that he was going to use American SCUD missiles to destroy many regions of the world, especially those with important drug manufacturing plants. To do this, it is said that Cray actually brought Alex along with him on Air Force One to witness Cray's plan in action. Cray had the missiles launched, but a short time later he was killed. Alex Rider destroyed the missiles before they could reach their targets, and brought Air Force One in, literally, for a crash landing. The boy's lucky he wasn't killed. We also lost one of our best agents on that plane, but I do not think that Rider killed him."

He pressed the same button on the remote, and a picture of a short, lean man with black hair, and a round face appeared on the screen. He was standing next to a teenage boy with dark, blonde hair, and facial features that greatly resembled those of the man next to him.

Valson continued talking. "This is Nikolai Drevin and his son Paul. Drevin, as I am sure you all remember, was the Russian multi-billionare who was in charge of the 'Ark Angel' project. Alex Rider was sent in to Drevin's estate to keep a close watch on him, and found out that Drevin was actually planning on destroying all of Washington D.C. with his so-called 'space hotel'. Rider stopped him, of course, and destroyed the structure; in outer space, as well."

There was a slow murmer of voices as Valson said this, and he waited for the talking to quiet down. He then continued again.

Valson pressed another button on the remote, and two pictures showed up, side by side. One was of a woman. She was beautiful, with dark, brown hair, and dark brown eyes. She was wearing a business suit with a skirt, and on her left hand she wore a golden watch.

"This is Julia Rothman," Valson said. "She was one of our first directors, but she was killed right after the failure of Invisible Sword. Our Invisible Sword operation took place before the Arc Angel incident, however. We sent one of our best marksmen to kill Rider after everything was set and done in South London. As it turns out, the bullet that hit him missed his heart by a tenth of an inch." He motioned to the picture on the left of Julia Rothman. "And this is Major Winston Yu. He was our last director of Scorpia, but he too was killed. His body was found on his boat, a few miles away from Dragon Nine."

Valson shot a quick glance around the room at the seven other people. Each of them seemed tired, but attentive. Valson couldn't blame them. They're plans had been medaled with two times too many. He pressed a new button on the remote, and the projector shut off. The screen rose back into the ceiling, and the lights slowly brightened once again, flooding the room in light. Valson sat down at the edge of the table, and straightened out his tie.

"Alex Rider, as I have shown you, is no ordinary London school boy. He was raised by a man who was a superb spy for MI6. All his life, Alex Rider has been trained by his uncle, who hoped that maybe one day Rider would follow in not only his uncle's, but in his father's footsteps, as well."

One of the women at the table spoke up. She had a strong Italian accent. "Michael, how could _one _schoolboy do all of that by himself?"

Valson looked at her, obviously irritated. "Rider has had the British Secret Service behind him, as well as a few others during his past missions, Miss Vicci. I don't think you understand how wise Alan Blunt is. My sources tell me that Alan Blunt and Tulip Jones both manipulated Rider into working for them on his first mission. After that, Rider found himself in various predicaments when he had no other option than to work for MI6."

The woman remained silent and slumped down in her seat. Before Valson could start talking again, one of the men on the opposite side of the woman spoke up.

"Who exactly is your source, Mister Valson?"

Valson looked at him, and said sincerely, "His name was Ash. He was working undercover for us at the ASIS. He was... Rider's godfather."

Everyone looked up as he said this. Valson ignored them and continued anyway.

"Ash was one of our best agents. He was feeding us information about the Australian Secret Service, but all the while he was under suspicion by them. He was shot and killed at Dragon Nine, by an MI6 operative. The week before he died, he messaged me all of the information he could. He tricked Alex Rider on his side, and even sabotaged one of Rider's gadgets, so we could easily capture him. However, you all know what happened…"

Valson cleared his throat and looked around the room once again.

"The reason I asked you all here today, is for one reason, and one reason only. From what I have just shown you on the screen, I hope that you all agree with me when I say that our next target will be, without question…"

He looked briefly around the room before continuing his sentence.

"…Alex Rider."


	2. Chapter 2: Drastic Measures

Drastic Measures

**Drastic Measures**

Alex shut his locker, and turned the lock's dial twice counter-clockwise. He bent down and picked up his backpack, and slung it over his right shoulder. He then made his way down the hallway, past the swarm of school kids coming and going past him. In the midst of all of the chaos before the afternoon session started, Alex smiled.

It had been nearly five months since his final confrontation with Major Yu at Dragon Nine. Alex helped with the destruction of Royal Blue, and the liberation of the factory. Now he was back in school, and so far Alan Blunt had not tried to contact him again.

Finally, Alex was living a normal life again.

Of course, he knew that any day now MI6 would try to get in contact with him and use him for another assignment. He was always on guard, making sure that when MI6 wanted him, he would know it.

Weeks earlier, Alex had received a small gift basket, complete with a small potted plant and a sympathy card. Alex saw that it was from both Mrs. Jones and Blunt, but Alex figured out for himself that Mrs. Jones was the person who had arranged for it.

Now, Alex was heading towards his school cafeteria. He continued to make his way through the other students, heading down a flight of stairs and arriving on the ground floor. He turned a corner and soon approached the cafeteria. He peered into it and saw one of his good friends Tom Harris sitting by himself at one of the tables near the back of the room. Alex went over to him.

Tom looked up from his milk carton at Alex and grinned. "Hey, mate. Guess what?"

Alex sat down on the opposite side of him and propped his backpack beside him on the bench.

"I know, Tom. You already told me. Three times, as a matter of fact."

Tom took a bite of his turkey sandwich and nodded his head. "May Howell and I are going out _tomorrow night_! Alex, you don't understand this at all, do you? May's one of the most popular girls in school! Just think! I'll be going out with the most popular girl in school, allowing me into their social class! And, of course, you're welcome in with me if you'd like."

Alex shook his head. He took his brown bag out of his backpack and opened it up. He pulled out the juice carton that Jack had packed for him, and unscrewed the top.

"No thanks, Tom. I've got some other stuff to worry about. I got a paper due next Wednesday, and a project for both Geometry and History that I have to complete by next Thursday."

Tom chuckled. "And you got to go save the world again, right?"

Alex leaned forward, talking more quietly to Tom. "Tom, keep that to yourself. I don't want anyone else to know about it. Remember?"

Tom nodded. "I'm sorry, Alex. I guess that it really hasn't sunken in yet. I know you told me almost a year ago, but still, it is a lot to think about and to process." He took a sip of his milk. "Does anyone else know?"

Alex shook his head. Of course, Jack, his American housekeeper knew about it. She was against Alex working for MI6 from the start. Over the past few months she had been acting differently towards Alex. She had become more protective of him, which Alex completely understood and was thankful for. After all, Jack was the only person who Alex could really talk to. However, Jack was acting different lately as well. She seemed more laid back, and seemed to be back to her old self when Alex was around her. Part of this could have been due to the fact that MI6 hadn't contacted Alex for a while now.

A short while later, the bell sounded for the lunch period to be over. Alex and Tom said there goodbyes and walked off to their next classes. Alex was walking down the hall, when the intercom sounded.

"Alex Rider, please report to the office. Alex Rider."

It was a woman's voice, and Alex wondered what he was wanted there for. He sighed and turned back around, and started heading in the direction from which he had just come. He headed down the hallway and turned the corner, and on the left of the hallway was the main office. Alex went over to it, opened the door, and went inside.

It was cooler in the office than in the rest of the school. Alex closed the door behind him and went up to the front desk. Mr. Davis, the young office secretary in his twenties was standing behind the desk, writing something down on a piece of paper. He looked up as Alex came in.

"Alex, your housekeeper, Jack, is waiting for you outside."

Alex looked at the man with a puzzled look on his face. "Why is she here?"

The man shook his head. "I don't know. She just said it's urgent. You'd best get outside, Mr. Rider."

Alex did as he was told and turned back around and headed towards the door. His mind was flooding with questions. He opened the door, and headed back out into the hall. If he had taken a closer look at the secretary, he would have seen that Mr. Davis was slightly shifting back and forth on his feet, and his face was full of fear.

Alex walked down the hallway towards the main doors of the school. What could Jack want? What happened? Did something happen to their home? These were all questions that were racing through Alex's mind as he opened the door and stepped outside.

Everything seemed to happen at once. Alex stepped down the staircase that lead down from the main doors of the school onto the sidewalk. There were no cars out on the road, which was odd at this time of day. The only vehicle that Alex could see was a large, black van, parked in the front of the school. Alex heard the driver's door open and shut, and watched as a man walked out from the other side of the car and started walking towards Alex, reaching into his jacket.

Alex reacted on instinct. Just as the man started walking towards him, Alex sprinted down the stairs, away from the man. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the man pull out a small pistol from his jacket. Alex dove around the side of the concrete pillar with a small light fixture on it, and heard the gunshot go off. He felt the shower of broken glass rain down upon him, but he quickly got up and started running again. He could sense the man aiming for him again, and heard another gunshot ring out. Alex tore himself into a sharp spin and ended up on the opposite side of the school. The man was now around the corner of the building, surely either going to chase Alex on foot, or with his van. Alex quickly looked around him, and found the pathway that lead to the football field. Surely the man would have him as an easy target there, with nowhere to hide. Alex made a quick decision, and continued running down the sidewalk as fast as he could.

Suddenly, he heard the rev of a car engine, and dared a look behind him. The van had turned the corner around the school, and was now coming full speed towards him.

Alex quickly started to look for some sort of hiding spot. He was surprised that no one else was around. The only car that he had seen had sped off in the other direction, away from Alex and the gunman.

Alex darted into the nearest alley, just as the gunmen aimed his pistol out of the driver's side window and took a shot at him. Alex could nearly feel the bullet as it whipped past his shoulder and slammed into the brick wall that he had just passed. Unfortunately, the alley was large enough to allow the van just enough space to get through it. Alex continued to run, his legs taking a great amount of strain as he, literally, ran for his life. He could nearly feel the man aiming at him again, and started running from one side of the alley to the other, trying to make it harder for the man to aim at him.

The alley suddenly ended, and once again Alex was running down the sidewalk, with the van on the road, but closer to him. This time, Alex was on the van's left, and the driver was seated in the right side of it. Alex ran as fast as he could towards the end of the street, where he saw two cars parked next to each other. Alex looked closer, and watched as two men with large automatic assault rifles stepped out of each car, each one taking aim at him. They had blocked the roads, preventing any traffic from interfering in their chase! Alex sprinted even harder around the next building he approached, feeling the bullets from the two rifles fly past him. Two bullets hit the van, surprising the driver. The van slightly swerved, but continued to pursue Alex, gaining speed as it went.

Alex was exhausted. He couldn't run for much longer. The van was so close that Alex could actually hear the click of the gun as the driver reloaded it. He saw that he was now running towards a construction site. Maybe there was something there that he could use against the driver. Alex started to make his way through the site, but now he could slow his pace, for the van barely had any room to maneuver between the large machines and construction equipment around it.

Suddenly, Alex's shoulder seared with pain. He cried out and looked at his shoulder, which was bruised but not cut. He realized that there was a whole set of tools, hung up on hooks in front of him. Alex heard the rev of the van engine nearby, and knew that he didn't have much time before it found him. He grabbed one of the shovels off of the rack and ran in the opposite direction of the engine noise. He heard the sound of the engine nearing him once again.

The driver had found him.

Alex still had the shovel and was running to the far side of the construction site, where the building itself was being constructed. Alex turned around and listened for the engine, which still seemed to be far away in the distance.

Suddenly, the sound grew closer, and Alex had reached the wall. He watched as the van neared him at about fifty miles per hour. He tensed, waiting for just the right moment to strike.

The van was about one hundred feet away when Alex lunged forward. He grabbed the shovel from behind him and swung it around him with a fantastic speed, gaining momentum on his swing. He then threw the shovel as hard as he could, then dove to the side. He waited for the car to hit him, or for the driver to gun him down. Alex stayed where he was on the ground, and heard a sickening shatter of glass.

The shovel that Alex had thrown made it's way to the van, and smashed through the windshield. The driver hadn't seen the shovel, and was caught completely off guard when it came through the windshield. The driver wasn't hit by it, but was temporary blinded by the glass that flew into his face. He couldn't even scream as the van, still gaining speed, flew right past where Alex was on the ground, and smashed head on into the concrete wall. Alex closed his eyes and covered his ears at the sickening crash, feeling as if he were about to vomit.

His legs still pounded, his shoulder was badly bruised, and he was trying to catch his breath. However, he was still alive.

He slowly got to his feet, and looked around. He could hear several more car engines coming towards him, but now he decided that enough was enough. He looked behind him at the wreck, knowing for sure that the man behind the wheel was dead.

Two minutes later, four black Cadillac Eldorado's arrived at the construction site. All four of the cars pulled up to the destruction of the van, and stopped. All four men opened their doors and got out of them. Two were wearing nearly identical suits, while the other two were wearing casual clothing. All four men walked over to the van, which was barley recognizable as a vehicle anymore.

One of the men spoke. "What should I tell Valson?"

The other men said nothing for a few moments. Finally, the man next to the man who had just spoken said, "We tell him exactly what we found. And, we tell him exactly what we know."

He looked at the wreck before he spoke again.

"Alex Rider is smarter than we thought."


	3. Chapter 3: The Second Strike

The Second Strike

The Second Strike

Alex had been walking for almost an hour, but he was nearly home. He was already far from where the other cars were waiting for him, but he knew that it wouldn't be long before they found him again. At last, he saw dozens of cars going back and forth, and people walking around on the sidewalk. Whoever had been after him had sent the gunmen to block the main roads and side streets, and had forgotten that there were numerous alleys in that part of Chelsea. Alex had easily slipped away from the other cars that might have taken chase to him along with the van, and was only left with the van to deal with. After he had taken care of the van, Alex had started heading home. He was now only a few blocks away from his house now, when suddenly the wail of sirens sounded nearby. Alex turned around and saw two fire trucks speeding past him, along with two ambulances and four police squad cars. He watched as they sped past him, and turned the corner ahead of him and onto his street.

Curious, Alex started jogging towards the commotion that was stirring only a few hunderd feet away. He watched as a great crowd of people started to flood the street, and started to rush past him. Finally, he turned the corner and saw the emergency vehicles parked in front of his house.

He pushed his way through the people standing around him, heading over to the semi-circle of people standing around the scene. One police officer started yelling out to the crowd, shouting at them to stand farther back. Alex suddenly felt a lump in the pit of his stomach as he listened to the various conversations around him.

"..Don't know..sudden explosion..few minutes ago"

Alex stopped listening. He looked up at what all the people were staring at, and felt a sudden pang of fright as he gazed at the area in front of him.

There seemed to be some sort of explosion that occured within his home, and what was left of the house was charred black; nothing was recognizable as anything anymore. The front hall to his home was completley obliderated, the kitchen, living room, and den all gone. The only thing that Alex recognized was laying on the grass in front of him. It was a piece of the coffee table that was placed in front of the fireplace in the living room.

Alex felt sick to his stomach. Where was Jack? Was she alright? Or was she..

He suddenly heard the horn of a car and turned around. He ran forward at the sight of Jack's car pulling through the crowd, and watched as she stomped on the brake and stared through her windshield at what was left of their home. Alex ran over to the driver's side of the car, just as she got out of it.

Jack nearly fell back against the car as she stared at the crater that used to be the house. "Oh my..."Alex held onto her arm gently to keep her from toppling backwards from shock. He was trying to calm her down, despite the fact that he was also scared, just as a police officer came over to them. He was a young man in his thirties, with a muscular tone to his figure and a thin, black mustache. Jack was still leaning against Alex as the police officer reached into his pocket and pulled out a pen. He then pulled out a small notebook, and looked at Jack.  
"Miss, are you the owner of this house?"

Jack didn't say anything, but Alex put his arm around her to help her keep her balance and spoke on her behalf. "Yes, she is. I live here, as well. What happened?"

The police officer scribbled something down onto his notepad. He then looked back at Alex.

"Do you know what happened here?"

Alex shook his head. "No. I just came back from school," He lied. "I walked back, and when I was about a block away, I heard sirens heading towards our house, and when I arrived..." He broke off, noticing that the officer wasn't listening. He was looking over Alex's shoulder, and Alex realized that a dozen policemen and policewomen were walking past Alex, away from the scene. Jack clinged close to Alex, as he followed the gaze of the police officer that had just spoken to him.

Out on the other side of the street, a small, black four-door Lincoln had just parked near the curb. The driver's side door opened, and a man in a suit and tie appeared, heading around to the opposite side. He opened the back side door, and Alex watched as a man got out. He was in his late fifties to early sixties, and he too was wearing a tie. However, there was a dull feel about him. His gray, slicked back hair and square-framed glasses could only belong to a man who spent hours behind a desk, doing nothing of particular interest. Alex recognized him immediately; the man was the head of MI6, Great Britain's top secret intelligence agency.

Alan Blunt.

A woman stepped out of the car and walked over to Blunt's side. She was wearing a sleek, dark raincoat, even though it was a beautiful sixty degree day outside. Her black hair had been grown out slightly, and, as always, she seemed to be sucking on a peppermint. Alex still had his arm around Jack, and watched as the two heads of MI6 started to make their way towards the crowd. Jack was still looking over the destruction of their home, murmuring quietly to herself. Alex gently hugged her, and slipped his arm back down to his side. She didn't seem to notice him as he walked through the crowd, heading over to Blunt and Mrs. Jones. Mrs. Jones caught sight of Alex before Blunt did, and her eyes grew wide. She walked over to Alex, leaving Blunt's side. He too then saw Alex, but his facial expression did not change. Alex had never seen him show any sort of emotion, not even so much as a smile. Alex had always believed that Blunt should be retired, and visiting with his grandchildren. However, Alex had no way of knowing if he had any family at all.

Mrs. Jones reached Alex first, and smiled gently at him. She then looked up at his home, and her eyes widened. "Alex.. we thought you were.. I'm so sorry.."  
Alex shook his head. He didn't want anyone to feel sorry for him. He looked over at Blunt, who was staring at the destruction of Alex's home.  
After a few, short moments, Blunt looked back at Alex. "We heard about what happened at the construction site as well, Alex. However, when we sent our men to find out what was going on, the other men who were there all fled the scene. We do not know where they are."  
After they had figured out that Alex wasn't going to talk after a few moments, Blunt continued.

"Alex, Scorpia-"

"I know," Alex said. "I pretty much guessed that they were after me after they sent someone to chase me all over Southern London"

Blunt opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it and closed his mouth once more. Mrs. Jones took over for him.

"Alex, I know that we promised you that they wouldn't bother you again, but it just isn't as simple as it sounds. Keeping one person away from someone else is simple. However, keeping a large number of people, who have connections all over the world, away from someone is just about impossible."

Alex said nothing. He looked back at Jack, who was talking to a police officer, obviously frustrated and scared.

Blunt noticed this as well. "We will find a new home for you and your housekeeper, Alex. You need not worry about another attempt on your life by Scorpia. We will talk to them-"  
Alex, glaring at him, interrupted him. "You mean talk to them like you did last time? Look what good that did!"

Blunt stopped talking in mid-sentence. He went from looking at Alex to looking over at the crowd of people that was starting to dissipate from around the scene. Mrs. Jones spoke up again. "Alex, we will make sure that you and her are safe. We will relocate you both to a new location, and will make sure that you both are under the most secure protection that we can offer."

This still did not comfort Alex. What about all of their furniture? All of their personal possessions?

Mrs. Jones seemed to know what he was thinking. "We will provide you two with a home that is already completely furnished, and make sure that you both are fed. We'll watch over you, Alex. Nothing like this will ever happen again."

Blunt nodded. "If it is alright with you, Alex, I would like a moment of your time. Mrs. Jones and I would like to speak to you."

Alex saw Jack looking from the police officer she was talking to, and saw that she now had seen Blunt and Mrs. Jones talking to him. The look on her face when she saw the two heads of MI6 was that of exasperation, of anger, but overall, of fear. Alex then turned back to Mrs. Jones and asked the question that he had been asking himself ever since he had first seen the remains of his home.

"First thing's first. What happens now? Where will Jack and I go?"  
Blunt spoke for Mrs. Jones. "By the end of today, you will be moved into your new home with your housekeeper. But right now, I need you to come with us, Alex. There is something we want you to do for us."

Alex looked at him, knowing what Blunt's answer would be. "What do you want me to do for you?"

Blunt gazed at Alex, his face showing no emotion whatsoever.

"We have a new assignment for you." he said simply.

Alex glanced over at Jack, and by the look on her face, he could tell that she knew what they were saying.

MI6 wasn't through with him yet.


	4. Chapter 4: Lou's Towing Company

**Lou's Towing Company**

A few miles south of Chelsea, Alex was beginning to wonder if coming along with Blunt and Mrs. Jones had been such a good idea after all. Alex was sitting the backseat next to Mrs. Jones, with Blunt in the passenger seat. Neither one of them had said anything to Alex, which he was grateful for. All he wanted to do right now was relax, but that was impossible. Despite the advanced technology for this particular vehicle, nothing could prevent the sudden jolting and bouncing motions that the car encountered from the various potholes in the road. Alex glanced out of his window, and realized that they were nearing the slums.

Alex hated this part of London. It was probably one of the worst places he had ever traveled through, on foot or in car. Along with druggies, drug dealers, and murderers who infested the streets, crime in this part of town was also on the rise. Drugs were harder becoming more expensive. Every now and again, Alex would hear about a murder revolving around a bad drug deal, or gangs shooting each other in plain sight of onlookers and pedestrians. Prostitution was another problem in this part of town, as well. As the car continued rolling down the near-empty streets, Alex saw many young-looking women in their twenties, either standing near an empty street corner or leaning against the sides of various buildings. Alex was very glad that the windows of the car were tinted completely black from the outside.

The car started to drive along more slowly now. Alex looked over at Mrs. Jones, who was just unwrapping another peppermint from a small plastic wrap.

"Where are we going?" Alex asked.

Mrs. Jones looked up from her peppermint at him and smiled to him reassuringly. "You'll see, Alex."

Alex nodded and felt the car gently lurch to the side as the chauffer pulled the car into a narrow alley, going about ten miles per hour now. Alex looked ahead, through the windshield to get a better view of where they were heading. He could see nothing.

The driver then turned the corner of the alley and started driving down it. He pulled up as close as the car would go to the wall, and stopped. Alex looked out of his window. There was no room for him to get out, due to the sides of the building being so close together.

Puzzled, he looked at Mrs. Jones, who said nothing and seemed completely relaxed.

Before he could say anything, the brick wall blocking the way of the car suddenly started sliding to the side. Alex was slightly startled by this, but soon realized that this was some sort of hidden-away location for MI6. The bank on Liverpool Street, after all, was rather obvious to Scorpia, Alex decided. The slid into the opposite wall on it's right completely, and the car drove through it, quickly but carefully.

The car was now driving through a dark tunnel. Alex could barely see anything out of his window, but all that he could see was brick wall. The chauffer turned the car left, and then braked to a complete stop.

Blunt unfastened his seatbelt and checked his watch, just as the chauffer got out of the car.

"We're here, but we have only a few minutes to spare."

The chauffer opened Alex's door first, and Alex got out. He thanked the chauffer, who then nodded and went to open Mrs. Jones door, then Blunt's. As the two others got out, Alex looked around him. He was in some sort of parking structure. There were other cars around the area, many of them similar to the car that had brought them here. The light was brighter here, and Alex saw that there was only one door, which was an elevator door.

Blunt and Mrs. Jones started walking towards the elevator, and Alex quickly followed them. He looked over to his side and saw a sign hanging from the wall. It showed a black and white outline of a tow truck with a car attached to the tow. Alex read the label under it.

"Lou's Towing Company?" He asked.

Mrs. Jones nodded. "It's the perfect disguise for our headquarters. Not even Scorpia could guess that a run-down building could be the headquarters of a top secret government agency."

Alex nodded. He agreed that it would not have even crossed Scorpia's mind to look around the slums for any other trace of MI6.

The elevator doors opened, and Alex followed Mrs. Jones and Blunt inside. Alex saw, as soon as he stepped into the elevator, that there was no control panel or button near the side of the compartment.

Alex turned to Blunt. "How do you control this elevator?" He asked.

Blunt grunted then muttered out two words: "Floor twenty-two."

Alex was thrown into shock as the elevator started to rise. It was voice-activated! MI6 sure had gone into dramatics, in Alex's opinion.

Alex looked to his left, and saw that there was some sort of logo on the wall. It was some sort of ring surrounding the name 'MI6'. Alex looked at Mrs. Jones, who was standing comfortably next to Blunt in front of the elevator doors.

"You have a logo, too?" Alex asked, half jokingly and half serious.

Alex saw for a brief moment, a half smile on her face, but it quickly disappeared. Blunt, as always, didn't smile. He remained silent as the elevator continued to rise.

The elevator suddenly stopped, and the doors slid open. Blunt and Mrs. Jones walked through it, with Alex right behind them. They were walking down a modern-looking hallway now, the floors carpeted and the walls painted. The fluorescent lights that lined the hallway were all spaced equally, flooding the corridor in light. Alex saw various art pieces hanging on the walls, none of which he was familiar with.

The hallway seemed to stretch on forever. Each door Alex passed was closed, and looked exactly the same as the ones before it. He could see no signs above or next to any door he passed, and wondered how anyone could find their way from one place to another without going into the wrong room.

Soon, they reached the end of the hallway. The door that they had just come up to was different from all the others. It was a double-door doorway, and it was, of course, closed. On the right of it, though, was a small number panel. Mrs. Jones stepped forward from Blunt's side and punched a six digit code into it. Alex watched as the two doors opened in unison. Mrs. Jones and Blunt continued to walk into the room. Alex followed close behind them.

The new room they were in was incredible. The hardwood floor was so clean that Alex could actually see his reflection in it. The walls were made of marble, and were colored a light-tan color. Alex gazed at the walls, which were beautifully made up by dozens of artworks that were hung in various places. One, large window took up one enormous wall of the room, and looked out over the city of London. Alex saw that there was a staircase that lead up to a small balcony looking down over the main area of the room. In the center of the room, there were three couches placed on end next to each other, and Alex saw several people sitting there already. In the middle of the adjoining couches was a beautiful hand-crafted coffee table. Alex gazed up at the ceiling and saw four glass chandeliers, all casting a beautiful glow over the room. There were potted plants placed in different places all around the room, all adding to the already warm feel of the room, as well. Alex looked over at the people sitting around the coffee table, who were all conversing between themselves. As soon as Alex, Mrs. Jones, and Blunt walked in, though, they stopped talking and gave their full attention to them.

Blunt and Mrs. Jones walked to one of the couches, with Alex following along behind them. Alex cast his gaze at the people sitting down opposite him.

There were two people who Alex didn't recognize, but he immediately recognized Eagle.

"How goes it, Cub?"

Alex smiled. It had been at least a year ago when he was training with the SAS, and Eagle was in his group.

Next to Eagle was John Byrne, the director of the CIA. The American nodded his head at Alex. "How are you doing, Alex? It's been a long time."

Alex said, "I could be better."

Byrne nodded his head. Alex had the feeling that they all knew what had happened to his home, which was just two hours ago. The three other people there whom Alex had never met before nodded at him. He returned the greeting.

Suddenly, the door opened, and three other people came into the room. One of them was Scooter, and Alex saw him grin at him as soon as he came into the room. He was wearing a gray short sleeved polo shirt, with a cross on a chain hung around his neck. He was also wearing tan khaki pants, which hung loosely around his waist.

He was followed in by Wolf, one of the other men in Alex's SAS group. He had given Alex a hard time for he first few weeks during their training, but soon, the two had become good friends. He had also been part of the assault team that had liberated Point Blanc, the all-boy's academy in Northern Europe. Wolf was wearing a black shirt underneath his jean jacket, and sunglasses which he removed right after he entered into the room. He grinned at Alex, as well.

"How goes it, Alex?"

Alex was surprised that he hadn't called him Cub. That was the codename that they had given Alex once he had started SAS training. Alex smiled back bleakly, and said, "Not so good at the moment. Yourself?"

Wolf scratched his head. "Well, my wife's expecting, and as soon as I can get my leave, I'm gonna go visit with her and the baby for a while, before I have to come back."

Alex was caught off guard by this. He didn't know that Wolf was married. "Do you know what you're having?"

Wolf shook his head. "She's supposed to find out next week. We'll just have to wait and see."

Wolf sat down, and Alex looked up at the person who had just walked into the room.

It was Tamara Knight.

She was wearing a sleeveless white tank top, faded jeans, and white sneakers. Her hair was longer now, and seemed to shimmer in the light of the chandeliers. She had grown a bit taller since the last time Alex had seen her, and was wearing just a hint of makeup. Alex stared at her as she walked in and smiled, probably wider than the other two had at him.

"Hi Alex," she said.

Alex finally realized that he was staring at her, and blinked twice. He then finally was able to talk.

"Hi, Tamara," he replied lamely. She smiled at him and sat down directly across from him on the other couch. Blunt suddenly coughed into his hand, and Alex was then able to look away from Tamara and over at Blunt.

The head of MI6 looked at all of the people sitting before him before he started to talk.

"Everyone, I have called this meeting to discuss one thing, and one thing only. And that-"

He looked around the room.

"Is how we can stop Scoripa for good."


	5. Chapter 5: The Joys of Toys

**The Joys of Toys**

After everyone had arrived, Blunt stood up and started to pace around the adjoining couches. Alex could tell that he was deep in thought about something. After a few moments after he started pacing around, Blunt spoke.

"As you all know, Scorpia has been on the verge of collapsing ever since Dragon Nine. However, our sources have told us that there is a new man who is now in charge of their projects. We do not know his name; however, he has been seen on multiple occasions either entering or exiting airports."

Blunt reached into his pocket, and pulled out a folded up photograph. He unfolded it and held it up so everyone around him could see it. Alex looked at it, as well. All he saw, though, was a man in either his late twenties or early thirties, with black hair and a vague stubble on his face. The picture must have been taken from a hidden video somewhere near an airport terminal. Alex could see many other people standing around him, all carrying luggage. The man who the picture was focused on, however, was not carrying anything.

"Finding this man is our top priority at the moment. He has been seen conversing with other top Scorpia officials, and we think that they're up to something."

He looked around the room. Byrne cleared his throat, and then started to speak.

"Alan, how are you so sure of this?" He asked. "Scorpia hasn't entered our radar for months, now. They promised not to start anything up again. Why would they suddenly just show up, now?"

Alex spoke before Blunt could. "They destroyed my home, Mr. Byrne."

Byrne looked from Blunt to Alex. "I'm sorry, Alex."

After Alex had spoken, Blunt continued. "John, you know as well as I do that Scorpia would never go down without a fight."

Byrne nodded his head. Blunt glanced at Alex, then back over at the others. He then looked over at Eagle. "I take it that you're Sergeant Henry Farson?"

Eagle nodded. "Yes," he said.

Blunt nodded his head. He then looked to Wolf. "And you are Major Michael Williams?"

Wolf also nodded. Alex had been wondering what the real names of his SAS squad members were. He looked over to Tamara, who was looking at him. When she saw Alex look at her, she smiled at him, and then turned her attention back to Blunt. Alex did the same.

"There are now a total of seven board members for Scorpia," Blunt continued. "Without the board members to direct the actions of the organization, Scorpia is sure to collapse. The only problem is that we have no idea who half of the people on the board are."

"How do you suggest we stop them, Mr. Blunt?" Scooter asked. This was the first time he had spoken.

Blunt shook his head. "We would have to send a team of undercover agents in to infiltrate Scorpia to find out exactly where they are, Robert," he said. He then looked at him, Eagle, Wolf, the two men sitting opposite of Byrne, Tamara, and then, lastly, at Alex. Alex figured out for himself that Blunt would want to send him on another assignment, and he wasn't very surprised when Blunt said, "Alex, I want you to accompany the team, as well."

Alex nodded his head. Although he was a bit angry at MI6 for using him _again_, he felt much better better. After all, he had seven people who were going to be coming with him to watch out for him. He looked at the two people sitting next to Byrne, and looked back at Blunt.

"Oh, Alex, I almost forgot. These two gentlemen-," he motioned to the two other men, who nodded at Alex. "Work for Byrne. They'll be watching out for you, as well as the other five who are going with you."

Alex nodded his head. "I just have one question," he said. "Why must I come along?"

"You will bring less attention to the group. If somebody sees a mother and a father traveling together with their son, nobody would expect a thing. Wolf, Eagle, and Byrne's other men will be watching over you every second, making sure that you're safe. Tamara and Robert will act as your parents."

Alex looked over at Scooter and Tamara, who both nodded and smiled over at him. Alex still had one question, and he looked back over at Blunt.

"What's the main goal of this whole thing?"

"To stop Scorpia, basically." Blunt replied. "Of course, it's not as easy as it sounds. We'll be sending you three into New York. A contact of mine has told me that the man we're looking for is catching a flight at the New York International Airport next Tuesday. Tamara and Robert will keep an eye open for our man. Alex, you are to go along with them and act innocent. However, if you do by chance find the man we're looking for, you notify both Tamara and Robert, who will in turn report back to us. We will then move our strike team in and arrest him. If all goes well, we should be able to send you home then, Alex."

Alex asked, "And if it _doesn't_ all go as planned?"

"Then we regroup and work out a new plan," Blunt said simply. "This should by no means be a 'wild goose chase'. We are after one man and one man only. After we bring him in, we will, of course, interrogate him. If we're lucky, we should be able to find out who the remaining board members of Scorpia are."

Alex nodded. He then cast a glance out of the window on the opposite wall, and noticed that night had fallen. Alex watched as an airplane, with its blinking red lights flashing every few seconds, traveled through the sky. He looked at all of the buildings in his view, all of which were giving off a bright, reflective glow in the darkening night sky.

Mrs. Jones spoke up for the first time. "Alex, there is someone who is here to see you."

Alex, along with everybody else, looked up as she said that, and looked at the door which was just opening. He watched as a large, jolly man came bounding into the room, wearing a tweed jacket, black slacks, and polished shoes. His large, flabby face twisted into a smile as soon as he saw Alex.

"Alex, dear boy! I am terribly sorry about what happened to your home. Scorpia is a nasty piece of work, indeed. Now, if you'll come along with me? I think that I may have some pieces of 'equipment' for you that you may find interesting!"

Alex smiled. Mr. Smithers always knew how to cheer someone up, no matter how angry or upset they were.

Alex stood up from the couch, and looked over at Blunt, who nodded, signaling to Alex that he could leave. Alex said his goodbyes to everybody in the room, and just as he was passing by Tamara, she looked up at him and smiled.

"I'll see you soon, Alex," she said, smiling at him.

"Bye, Tamara," he replied, also returning her smile.

He then walked out of the room, hurrying after Mr. Smithers, who was already waiting by a door halfway down the hall. He grinned at Alex as he made his way over to him.

"Alex, it has been too long! I've been quite busy making different things, and I think that you'll be overjoyed by what I have to offer you today. Come, come!"

He reached his pudgy hand into his pocket and pulled out a single key. He put the key into the doorknob, and turned it. He then pulled the key out of the keyhole, and put it back into his pocket. The door seemed to open by itself as soon as he unlocked it, and he stepped inside, squeezing his large frame through the door. Alex followed him.

The new room that they were in was smaller than the meeting lounge. The walls were stainless steel, and the floors were tiled. The only thing that made this room special and unusual was all of the shelves that lined every single wall. Alex glanced up at one of the shelves, and saw various items placed along it. On the shelf that he was looking at, he saw a fourteen inch laptop computer. Next to it was what appeared to be a stuffed animal.

Curious as to what all of this was, he looked over to Mr. Smithers. "What is all of this?"

Smithers laughed. "My dear boy! You know that I wouldn't have a load of useless rubbish sitting around my working place, would you?"

He reached up to the shelf that Alex was looking at and took the laptop computer down.

"This isn't just an ordinary computer. Watch."

He held down the 'ESCAPE' key, and the 'INSERT' key on the keyboard, and a screen came up. Alex looked down at the screen, which showed a top-down view of what appeared to be a schematic of some kind of hallway with a room attached to it. Alex eyed it carefully.

"I guess I could use a map for this building. I felt like I was going to get lost when I first got here."

Smithers laughed. "This computer, whenever you activate this screen, will show you a top-down view of any area you are in. Very useful if you don't know where you are."

Alex stared at it in amazement. Smithers then put it back up onto the shelf. He reached next to it and pulled down a basketball.

"This," Smithers said. "Is actually a high-powered explosive device. If you turn it around," he turned the ball around in his hand. "You can see a small bump sticking out of it. This is the activation switch, and if you hold it down for three seconds, it will activate the timed detonation period, which is five seconds long."

He put the ball back up onto the shelf, and continued walking. Alex followed him, looking up at all of the items that took up the shelves.

Smithers was standing in the front of a large, steel table. On it were several items. Alex could see a wristwatch, a pair of tinted sunglasses, a silver necklace with a medium-sized medallion on it with Chelsea's soccer team symbol on it, and a pair of shoes underneath the table.

Alex looked at all of these objects first, and then looked back at Smithers. "Gadgets, I take it?" He asked.

Smithers chuckled. "Well, it wouldn't be right for you to be out on a mission without some sort of gadgets, now would it?"

Alex smiled. He watched as Smithers picked up the watch. He held it up so that Alex could see it. It was a basic black wrist watch, with two hands in the face, and a black strap to fit over his wrist. The only strange thing about this watch though, was that the four buttons on it were a bit larger than the buttons he had seen on other watches before.

"This is probably my most creative idea yet," Smithers beamed. "This watch, along with you being able to tell what time it is, can come in very handy. Each of these buttons performs a different function."

He pointed to the button on the top-left side of the face first. "This button, believe it or not, activates a small laser beam. When pressed, you hold the button down to keep the laser beam ejected. The beam will cut through just about any material or metal, except for human flesh. Mr. Blunt and Mrs. Jones don't want you to have any lethal weapons in your possession, I suppose. But don't be disappointed by this, Alex. I have yet more things to show you after this, that I'm sure you will take to good use!"

He pointed to the next button.

"When you press this, the watch will send out a certain signal that will disable any car within a ten block radius of you. This is quite useful when you need to stop someone who is trying to make a fast getaway."

Smithers then showed Alex the third button.

"If you aim the face of this watch at someone and press this button, a rather strong beam of light will be projected from it and temporarily blind your target, but you must make sure that the light is focused on your target's eyes. I nearly permanently blinded myself when tampering around with this contraption!"

He set the watch down, and picked up the necklace. He held it up and turned it around in his pudgy hands, admiring his handy-work. "This is an attractive necklace, is it not? I know that you're a big Chelsea supporter, so in recognition of that, I inscribed their logo onto it! Press down twice on the middle of the medallion, and it will send out a distress signal to both your group and MI6 as well. We will know your exact location, as long as you don't somehow get separated from the medallion itself!"

He set the necklace back down onto the table, and then reached over and picked up the sunglasses. He passed them over to Alex, who took them from him. "Try these on, and see how they fit!"

Alex did as he was told, and slipped the sunglasses onto his face. They fit him surprisingly well, and he could see clearly out the frames. Smithers reached up to the left and pressed what turned out to be a small switch on left side of the glasses. Suddenly, Alex's vision was filled with numbers, bar graphs, and words. As soon as Smithers had flipped the switch on the sunglasses, he had become a bright, red glowing figure. The glasses had thermal imaging, too!

Smithers gently pulled the glasses off of Alex and set them back down onto the table. Then, with much effort and strain, he bent over and picked up the shoes from under the table and set them down onto the tabletop. He pushed them over to Alex.

Alex looked down at them. "Gray really isn't my color," he said jokingly.

Smithers chuckled. "Well, you'll have to make do with them for now, my boy! But these are no ordinary sneakers."

Alex asked, "What do they do?"

Smithers picked up the right shoe. "Both shoes contain three small plastic explosives, but don't be defied by their size. The blasts of the explosives are lethal if positioned correctly. There is a ten second countdown, though, for them as well. To activate the countdown, all you do is press the button on the back of the explosive."

Smithers flipped the shoe over. "In the left side of the shoe is a small flashlight. The neat thing about the flashlight, is that it can also be used as a stun grenade. Just twist the head of the flashlight around once, and either roll it or throw it at a target, and when it detonates, it will temporarily stun him."

He pushed all of the items over to Alex, who put the sunglasses, necklace, and watch into his pocket, and carried the shoes with his other hand. Smithers stepped out from behind the table and went over to Alex, holding out his hand to him.

"I'm sure that you'll give Scorpia a good whopping, Alex. You always do!"

The two shook hands, and Alex headed towards the door.

"And Alex," Smithers called. "They would like you back in the lounge for a few more moments, just to prepare you for the mission to come. I wish you luck, ol' chap!"

Alex nodded and left the room. He had no idea what the following week would have in store for him, but he did know one thing.

One way or another, he was going to help stop Scorpia for good.


	6. Chapter 6: Airport Chaos

**AIRPORT CHAOS**

Alex was looking out of the backseat window, watching as a great number of various automobiles passed him. He looked up at the darkening sky, looking at the lights of the enormous skyscrapers brighten up the night sky.

New York City seemed to be more alive at night than it did in the afternoon. Despite all of the vehicles congesting the streets, car horns going off every few seconds, pedestrians making their way from once place to another and even _street performers_, New York should have seemed more interesting during the day. However, Alex thought that the nighttime really brought out the beauty of the city.

Alex was sitting in the backseat of the car with Eagle and Tamara. The three of them were wearing disguises. Eagle had attached a fake, but real-looking black mustache that matched his hair color. Tamara was wearing glasses which she kept on adjusting on her face to get used to them. They were both wearing clothes that could have belonged to any normal civilian; Eagle was wearing a jean jacket that hung loosely on him, over a dirty white t-shirt. Tamara was wearing a black sweatshirt as well as faded blue jeans.

Alex's hair was cut a bit shorter, and he was now wearing his sunglasses, with the features on it turned off. He figured that he would need all the concealment he could get, and along with that he was wearing a jacket with the 'DC' logo on the front of it, along with tan khakis and the sneakers that Smithers had given him. He was also wearing the watch on his left wrist and the necklace with the cross around his neck.

Only three days ago, Alex had been told what the plan was. Blunt had told everyone, after Alex had gotten the items from Smithers, what was going to happen.

He had said, "Alright. Alex, you are going to go with Eagle and Tamara in three days to the New York International Airport. When you are there, you will stay by their sides. Unless told otherwise, you will not get yourself separated from them. I am sure that Scorpia will have backup at the Airport in case something was to happen. In that case, I will send a few dozen men in to capture the man when the time is right. Hopefully, this will be a quick and easy assignment. Get in, get our man, and then get out.

Alex had then nodded, knowing that this wouldn't be as easy as it sounded.

Now they had arrived at the airport. They were heading for the main building, where every airplane connected too to unload and load on passengers. There were several airplanes already out on the runway, and Alex watched as a large airliner rose into the sky from the airstrip and started gaining altitude. He then looked over to Tamara, who had pulled out a small pistol from her handbag she had with her, and was now checking over it. Tamara stopped what she was doing and looked at Alex and smiled, trying to hide her nervousness.

"You can never be too careful," she said.

Alex nodded and smiled back at her, then turned his attention over at Eagle, who was looking out of his window at the nearing building.

"Where is he expected to be?" Alex asked.

"He's going to be heading towards the third security checkpoint, which is farther away from the main entrance of the airport. If anything happens, though, he'll have a rough time trying to get out of there. We have men stationed all around the airport who are ready for anything."

The car continued driving on, and Alex looked back over at Eagle.

"Why do you have so many men stationed around the airport? No one even knows if he has ties to Scorpia.'

Eagle nodded. "I agree. However, Scorpia, as you already have seen, we can take no chances with. Sure, this may be an easy nab-and-go, but there's also the risk of that if he is connected to Scorpia in any way, we must be on guard in case something was to happen."

Alex agreed. He had encountered Scorpia face-to-face twice before. He was sure that the attack on his home was their doing, and that they were after him. However, he had no idea who was behind it. He was sure that there was a new leader for the organization, but he, along with MI6 and the CIA, had no idea who it was. He, despite what he had said, was hoping that this man would answer the many questions that were racing through his mind.

Finally, the car arrived at the airport terminal building. The driver stopped the car, and Tamara and Eagle both opened their doors and got out. Alex followed Eagle out, and the three of them walked to the rear of the car. Tamara had put her pistol back into her handbag, which was now slung around her shoulder.

Tamara looked around to see if anyone was listening, then turned to Alex. "Ok. Alex, you stick close by Eagle and I, and if you can, keep your eyes peeled for our man." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small photograph of the man that they were after, and handed it to Alex. "If you see him, you let us know right away."

Alex nodded, and together, the three of them walked into the terminal. Alex walked along right beside Eagle and Tamara, casting glances around him every now and again, looking around for their target. He pulled off his sunglasses and stuffed them into his pocket. The terminal was very busy, and Alex had to weave in and out of the people walking past him to keep up with Tamara and Eagle. The two of them were looking left and right, keeping an eye out for the man they were after.

The terminal was surprisingly larger on the inside than it was on the outside. Alex looked around and saw vendorsselling maps, information brochures, and even souvenirs. There were many people who looked to be from different countries also in the terminal. In one corner, Alex saw a small group of men with turbans wrapped around their heads who were talking quietly amongst themselves. Alex looked and saw a group of Japanese businessmen, who were all wearing suits, walking through a security checkpoint, headed towards their plane. There were several other people who all seemed to be in a rush. They rushed past Alex, Tamara, and Eagle, and jogged towards their destinations, luggage bags in each of their hands. Tamara glanced over her shoulder at Alex, and smiled at him.

"You doing alright, Alex?"

He nodded. "I'm fine."

She nodded her head back at him and continued walking. Alex was watching her, wanting to say something, but not knowing what to say. He was partially lost in his own thoughts as they made their way through the crowd. He noticed that they were nearing the third security checkpoint, which lead to Flight 144. Alex looked up at the flight news board on the wall, and scrolled through the list of planes that were either delayed or waiting to take off.

**FLIGHT 184 - BEIJING: DELAYED**

**FLIGHT 212 - SYDNEY: CANCELED**

**FLIGHT 193 - VANCOUVER: ON TIME**

**FLIGHT 144 - LONDON: ON TIME**

Alex, surprised, looked at Tamara, who seemed as surprised as he was.

"I wonder why he's going to London?" Tamara said.

Eagle shrugged. "I don't know."

Alex looked over at the security checkpoint, his eyes scanning the large number of people who were waiting to pass through it. He saw two security guards standing in front of the checkpoint, both using hand-held metal detectors on each person who walked through the gate frame. The process was moving along slowly, and Alex was about to speak when out of the corner of his eye he saw something.

A man in a expensive-looking suit was walking in the middle of two, muscular men, who were wearing dark jackets. Alex looked at the man in the suit. He was in his early thirties, with a five o'clock shadow, dark hair that was cut short, and cold, lifeless eyes. Alex glanced at one of the men next to him, and saw him speak into his ear. The man looked directly at Alex, and for that moment, time stood still.

The whole world around Alex seemed to freeze, as he noticed that Tamara and Eagle saw the man, as well. They were beginning to stand up, when all of a sudden, the man in the suit started to run in the opposite direction, away from the security checkpoint. Eagle obviously expected this, as he sprang fully to his feet and took chase. Alex and Tamara followed in his footsteps, both running after the man with Eagle. They sprinted past the men in the jackets, and Alex heard the click of a gun and a woman scream. He grabbed Tamara's arm and yanked her to the side, just as one of the men fired his gun at them. Alex felt the bullet whip past them by a few inches, and pierce the wall that they were standing opposite of. Tamara reached into her handbag and took out her pistol, letting her handbag fall to the ground.

Over the roar of screams and sirens going off, she yelled to Alex, "Go after them! I'll take care of this!"

Alex immediatley obeyed her, and took off running through the chaotic crowd, heading in the same direction that he saw Eagle going. He had to push through many people, and watched as several security guards unhooked their radios from their belts and spoke into them frantically, calling for assistance against the gunmen. They didn't notice Alex as he ran past them, picking up speed as he went.

The people were starting to disappear from the terminal, all heading for safety outside. Through the broken crowd of the bystanders, Alex suddenly saw Eagle as he turned the corner, continuing his chase. Alex sprinted harder to keep up with him, not having to sway out of the way of the oncoming people as much. Men, women, and children were frantically trying to make their way to the exit of the terminal, pushing each other out of their way in the process.

Soon, Alex had caught up with Eagle. The man must have thought that there would be security outside of the terminal waiting for him. He cut around the corner, and started running down a long, stretching hallway. Eagle struggled to keep up with the man, but with one more burst of stregnth, he was able to exit the terminal and catch up to the man, and tackle him to the ground. Alex soon caught up with him, panting for breath. The man was lying on the ground, not struggling at all against Eagle's pin.

Alex looked down at the man, and realized that something was wrong.

This wasn't the man who he had seen at the checkpoint. He had no stubble, and his hair was longer. He was wearing an ear stud, and looked like he was in his twenties. Eagle noticed this, as well. He got up from the man, and dragged him to his feet. He then pinned him against the side of the terminal building, and talked harshly to him.

"Who are you!? Who are you working for?"

The man started to babble, not in English, but in French. He struggled against Eagle's pin, but Eagle had a good hold on him. He then reached into his pocket and took out his radio transmitter. He pressed the side button on it and spoke into it, trying to catch his breath.

"We got the wrong guy! Tamara, are you alright?"

Tamara's voice came back as a crackle though the radio. "I'm fine. The security guards took the other two away. Wait, what do you mean, 'you got the wrong guy'?"

Eagle looked at Alex exasperatedly, then spoke back into the radio. "He must have been thinking ahead, I guess. I don't know, really. He had another man dress up like him, and take his part in the chase. The guy we're after is long gone."

The man who Eagle had pinned started speaking excitedly. "Valson gone! He gone to elsewhere!"

Eagle turned off his radio and looked at the man. "Valson?"

The man nodded with much excitement. "He.. promise me much payment after I do this."

Eagle said, "How did he know that we were coming after him?"

The man shrugged. "Valson have connections. Valson very clever. Valson part of Scorpia!"

Eagle looked at Alex.

"Well, at least we now know his name," he said.


	7. Chapter 7: In Cold Blood

Valson stared out of the window of his office, about fifty stories high up off of the ground. The room he was currently in was very well furnished, with two leather arm chairs set up in front of a large oak office desk placed in one corner of the room. The walls were made of wood, which were smoothed down and expertly polished, reflecting in the light given off by the light fixtures placed along them. On Valson's desk, there were various manila folders containing information that no one else knew about, besides from the board of Scorpia.

Valson currently had one folder opened, the single fold sticking out of it showing the name: "Alex Rider". In the folder, there were several pictures of Alex, ranging all the way from when he was a young boy to his current teenage years. In one picture, Alex was seen wearing mountain climbing gear next to a man who was also wearing the same kind of gear. Under the picture, a small piece of masking tape was taped down. It read: "Ian Rider".

Along with the folders and files on his desk, Valson also had a picture of a young toddler being held by a beautiful woman. The woman had black long hair, large green eyes, and a slender body. Both she and the boy were smiling into the camera, and they seemed to be outdoors in the picture.

Valson looked down at the picture and sighed to himself. He shook his head. It had been too long since he had seen Victoria and Benjamin. His wife and son thought that he had gone away on business. In a way, he was.

A few moments later, there was a knock at the door, and a young woman in her early twenties peered from around the door and looked over at Valson.

"He's here, Mr. Valson. Should I let him in?" The woman had a heavy British accent. She was wearing a business-like suit, and her hair was tied up into a tight bun on the back of her head.

Valson nodded. "Yes, let him in."

The woman nodded, and stepped out of the room. Valson walked over to his desk and sat down at it, turning on the lamp that sat on the corner of it. He closed the file on Alex Rider and pushed it aside. He spread his hands over his desk just as an elderly man walked into the room.

The man was in his late seventies or early eighties. His grey hair glistened in the light due to the downpour outside. He was holding a closed umbrella, and was just fastening it as he walked into the room. His black overcoat was damp with rainwater, and his dress shoes were softly squeaking as he walked across the hardwood floor over to Valson's desk.

Valson glanced up from his desk as the man sat down in the leather chair to his left. The man put his umbrella into his pocket, and brushed the water out of his hair. He then smiled over at Valson.

"Hello, Michael," he said. He had a near-perfect American accent, but the slightest trace of a British accent could be heard in his voice.

Valson nodded at the man. "Hello, Mr. Johnson."

The man leaned forward a bit, talking a bit more quietly to him. "I heard about what happened… how-"

Valson shook his head. "I always have a backup with me wherever I go in case something like that happens. You can never be too careful, Mr. Johnson."

Johnson nodded his head. "It's amazing, really. A teenage spy." He chuckled. His face then turned serious, and he said, "MI6 doesn't know yet, do they?"

Valson smiled and shook his head. "They don't suspect a thing."

The other man smiled at this, as well. So far, almost everything had gone according to plan. Alex Rider wasn't dead, but that didn't matter. He was going to be, though, very soon. Both Valson and Johnson were going to make sure of that personally. Rider had foiled their plans two times too many. He wasn't going to stop them again.

Johnson said, "I'm not so comfortable with how we're going to go about this, though-"

Valson interrupted him. "If you're that uncomfortable with our plan, Mr. Johnson, then I suggest you leave."

The man said nothing. He looked down at his shoes, which were already dry. He fiddled with the hem of his jacket, avoiding Valson's eyes. Valson could sense his uneasiness and sighed.

"Well?" he asked.

Johnson looked up at him. "Mr. Valson, all of those people-"

Valson spoke up then, interrupting him once again. "Will die. I know that. I am perfectly fine with that, as long as we get what we want from our client."

Johnson looked at him with a puzzled expression on his face. "Who is your new client?"

Valson looked at him straight in the eye. "I am."

Swiftly and without warning, he pulled up a chrome pistol with a silencer attached to it. He fired a single bullet into the old man's chest, which made no sound as it left the gun and punctured his heart, immediately killing him. He toppled out of his chair and crumpled to the floor on the other side of Valson's desk. He lay still.

Valson listened as a clash of thunder sounded outside, which was followed by a blinding, white hot flash of lightning. Valson closed his eyes and put his hands up to his mouth, cupping his hands together. He ignored the sudden, loud roll of thunder that shook his desk.

Avery Johnson had gotten too remorseful for Valson's liking. He was beginning to show second thoughts about many of Scorpia's assignment, which could not happen, in Valson's opinion. He had summoned Johnson to his office, feeling that it would be better to make do with him in private than it would in public. The last thing that Scorpia needed was London's police force breathing down it's neck.

After a few moments, Valson stood up from his desk and walked around to the unmoving body. He stared down at it briefly, then walked over to the door. He had left the pistol behind in his desk, and made his way out of his office. He continued down the hallway, passing his secretary's desk along the way. She was there, typing something onto her computer.

"I'll have someone dispose of the body," the woman said without looking up from her computer.

Valson said, "Thank you, Miss Gerald." He continued walking down the hallway, thinking about the events that were going to take place very soon.

Over one million people were going to be dead by the end of the month.

Valson would make sure of that.


	8. Chapter 8: Goldman Bank

Alex was leaning on the railing of the balcony, watching the sun set in the distance. He was about three stories high up off of the ground, but even from up here the view was magnificent. The rush of the cool air against Alex's face was refreshing, and as he looked farther into the distance, he spotted King's Cross Station about a mile away from where he was now standing, and he could even see a small airstrip in the distance. He looked and watched as small two-passenger plane take off from it and soar into the sky.

He looked down and saw the evening commute passing beneath him, made up of all kinds of cars, trucks, and even bicycles. The darkening sky reminded him that it was getting late, and that Jack would be back any minute now with their dinner.

He turned his head as he saw Jack's car nearing their new apartment. He looked down and watched as she pulled her car into their designated parking spot at in the front of the building. She parked the car and got out of it, closing the door behind her. She walked around to the left backseat door and opened it, coming back out of it with a plastic bag in one hand and a bottle of Coke in the other. Alex smiled. She had picked up Chinese for them.

After she had started walking towards the front door of their building, Alex left the side of the balcony and walked inside the apartment, closing the screen door behind him. He headed towards the kitchen to set the table. The entire apartment was rather spacious, with a kitchen, two bedrooms, a living room, and a bathroom. Alex was impressed with how luxurious everything was in their new home. He had a pretty good idea that MI6 had probably set up the arrangements to furnish the apartment to try to make Alex and Jack feel more at home.

Alex turned on the television in the living room and turned on the BBC news. The anchor was currently going over the weather and explaining the five day forecast. Alex was paying little attention to it as he went into the kitchen. He started setting the dining table for Jack and himself, when all of a sudden the anchor started talking about a breaking news story.

Alex could only hear bits and pieces of the story. "..Mikhail Johnson.. found shot to death.. suspect not found.. part of Scorpia.."

Alex looked up from the placemat he had just set down and froze. He walked over to the television to listen to the story. The anchor was still talking, repeating the story that he had just received.

"Reports have said that at least ten minutes ago, the body of eighty-four year old Mikhail Johnson was found in Lake Havasu. Johnson was once the head of the Russian Mafia back in 1953, and supposedly retired from his life of crime in 1985, following a court hearing which almost landed him in prison. However, Johnson had been seen conversing with members of the criminal organization known as 'Scorpia', which led to the fact that he was, in fact, still involved in criminal activities. Earlier this afternoon, the man's body was found in Lake Havasu, with a single gunshot wound to his chest."

Alex looked up as Jack unlocked the door and walked into the room. He quickly turned the television off. Jack smiled over at him when she saw that he was there. She was holding the bag with their Chinese food in it, and in the other hand she held their mail. Using her foot, she shut the door and walked past Alex, who took the mail from her as she walked into the kitchen.

"I'll get dinner ready," Jack called back to him as she continued into the kitchen. Alex nodded his head and put the mail on the small coffee table. He then started making his way towards the kitchen, when all of a sudden the phone on the wall rang. Alex went over to it and picked it up. "Hello?" He said.

"Alex, Blunt and I would like a word with you when you have the chance," it was Mrs. Jones' voice on the other line.

Alex lowered the receiver away a bit from his ear and peered around the door frame of the kitchen. Jack currently had her back to him, preparing their supper for the both of them.

Alex spoke back more quietly into the phone. "When should I come in?" He asked.

There was a short pause on the other line before Mrs. Jones said, "As soon as possible."

* * *

The taxi pulled up in front of the large building and stopped. The back door of the car opened and Alex got out of it. He closed the door behind him and looked up at the large, brick building. He started walking towards the double glass doors, and as he walked he spotted a single sign on it. The sign took up a large portion of the doorway, and it read 'CLOSED' in black, bold letters. Alex continued walking towards the door, however, despite the looks that he received from the people walking past him. He looked up, above the doorway, and saw the name "GOLDMAN BANK" in fading, golden letters, surrounded by a black frame. Alex was wondering what the name of the building was for some time.

He grasped the handle and opened the door, walking inside and ending up in the main lobby. Despite what the sign had said on the outside, there were about fifty people bustling about Alex in the room that he was currently in, all of them wearing suits of various styles. The majority of the people here were men, but there were also a handful of women making their way around the lobby, as well. Alex took all of this in before continuing to walk past these people, and as he walked, several men and women stopped to greet him. They all knew who he was, and why he was here.

This building was, in fact, not a bank at all. It was the headquarters for Great Britain's secret intelligence agency, which of course was MI6. Alex had been here at least five times before, over the past year and a half. He was familiar with some of the people who worked here, and he knew his way around the complex. Right now, he was headed for Alan Blunt's office, which was on the top floor.

He made his way through the crowd and made his way over to an elevator. He got in it and took it all the way up to the ninth floor, where he then got off. He took five paces down the hallway, then approached two security guards armed with assault rifles who were standing on opposite sides of a wooden door.

Alex was about to ask the one on the left if he could go in, but was interrupted when the guard immediatley opened the door for him. Alex, a bit surprised by this, nodded his head at the security guard and walked through the door.

He was now in a modern-looking office, the only difference was that it was a bit bigger than a normal office space. The walls were drab, and the only furniture in the room consisted of a solid wooden desk, two arm chairs in front of it, a table lamp near the corner of it, and a variety of files spread in a cluster, but organized pile on the top of the desk. Alan Blunt was sitting in the chair behind the desk, and Mrs. Jones was standing behind him. Both adults were reading over a file the moment Alex walked through the door, but looked up as he walked in. Mrs. Jones smiled at him, but Blunt's face remained the same.

"Alex, we would like a word with you," Mrs. Jones began.

"That's why I'm here," Alex replied.

"Alex, did you hear about what happened?" Blunt asked.

Alex nodded. "Who was he?"

"He was one of the men who was behind all of Scorpia's tasks," Mrs. Jones said. "Why he was killed has not yet been determined, but our men are currently looking into it."

Blunt gazed at Alex. "Alex, what happened at the airport should not have turned out the way it did. We apologize for that."

Alex said nothing. Blunt then spoke up again.

"However, we now know who we're after," he continued.

He picked up the file that he and Mrs. Jones were going over, and sild it over to Alex, who picked it up. He opened it and started to read it.

"His name is Michael J. Valson," Mrs. Jones said. "He, surprisingly, has no criminal record, but I suppose that Scorpia probably had all of his wrong-doings erased from any police records. He, by no means, is new to the whole criminal world, though. We were able to find out several interesting facts about his past."

Alex turned the page over in the folder, and saw Valson's picture. Alex supposed that it came from an old newspaper clipping. Under it was a small article, the headline of it already faded.

"That is a picture of him when he was twenty-three," Blunt said. "He is currently in his thirties, but his criminal life first kicked off when he was in his early twenties. It was said that his first felony was robbing a bank by use of a semi-automatic weapon. He, surprisingly, escaped the police and made his way to saftey. He was able to get away with one million dollars _in cash. _Five years later, or, I should say, about a year ago, he was found conversing with a top Scorpia official."

Alex looked at Blunt, waiting for him to continue.

Mrs. Jones spoke for him instead. "Alex, he was seen talking with Winston Yu."

This made Alex's eyes pop open. Winston Yu was the man who Alex had previously encountered on his mission at Dragon Nine. Yu had died after Alex had manually detonated the British-made bomb, Royal Blue. The explosion, he had been told, engulfed Yu's body which was suffering from a severe form of osteoperosis at the time, in turn crushing every single bone in the man's body.

Blunt looked back at Alex. "We believe that Scorpia is up to something once again," he continued. "A few of our sources have told us that Scorpia is indeed planning something. However, we have no idea what it is they have in mind."

Mrs. Jones looked at Alex, her eyes full of regret. "Alex-"

Alex knew what they had in mind, and as much as he wanted to decline their offer, he couldn't. "I guess I really don't have much of a choice here, do I...?"

Blunt shook his head.

"Alex, it's just that you're so damn good at what you do," Mrs. Jones said. Alex gazed at her, surprised at hearing her swear for the first time. "You haven't failed us yet, and this time, we really need your help."

Blunt even seemed phased by her choice of words. However, his gaze immediatley switched back to Alex.

He said, "We need to find out what Scorpia's up to as soon as possible. We're not sure how much time we have before they strike again."

Alex nodded knowingly. He had encountered Scorpia twice before, and knew that they were never an organization to hold things off until a later time.

"What do I have to do?" Alex asked.

Mrs. Jones spoke. "Sit down and we'll go over the plan with you, Alex."


	9. Chapter 9: Art Appreciation

Alex was staring at the large, ultra modern building, lost in the sheer beauty of it. The building itself was made out of mostly glass; the only level of it not to be made of glass was the first floor. One thing that struck Alex as fascinating, though, was how purely reflective each window was. Alex even thought that he was looking into a mirror when he attempted to look through one of the windows.

He looked to his right at Tamara, who was disguised; this disguise different from the one she had worn at the airport. Alex himself was not disguised, only wearing a T-Shirt and cargo pants. Of course, he had his gadgets with him, just in case something was to happen.

Alex was relieved that MI6 had finally come through with the news of finding out who the man was they were after. Now all they needed to do was find him and bring him in to question.

However, Alex knew that it wouldn't be as easy as that.

Valson was the new head of the board of directors for Scorpia. He wouldn't be out in public without at least someone watching him to make sure he was safe. Alex knew that MI6 knew this, as well. He and Tamara had been sent back to New York to find out anything else they could about Valson. Alex knew that this would be no easy task.

The two of them were standing side by side, looking around the outside of the building to see if there were any guards patrolling the grounds. There weren't.

Alex looked above the main entrance and saw a bright red banner reading: "VALSON ART GALLERY".

Alex looked over at Tamara. "I still find it hard to believe he owns an art gallery." he commented.

Tamara nodded. "He probably stole all of the paintings in there, though. He's a multi-millionaire, so I don't think that having him hire someone to do all the dirty work for him was that much of a hassle."

Alex agreed. He knew that Scorpia was not to be taken lightly, but he thought that it was odd that this man would be so public with himself. Usually, people who worked for big-time crime organizations mostly kept to themselves. That obviously wasn't the case here.

Tamara beckoned for Alex to follow her. "C'mon, Alex. Remember to stay on guard once we're in there."

Alex nodded his head in acknowledgement, and proceeded following her. As he walked next to her, he could smell the faintest hint of perfume coming from her, the aroma filling Alex's nostrils with an extravagant smell. He watched her as she walked, her black leather jacket and faded jeans making her look more like a teenager than as a young adult. Her hair was partially seen beneath the Yankee's hat she wore on her head, the brim of the hat pulled slightly low over her eyes.

The two of them continued to walk, both taking in their surroundings. Alex watched several people walk past him and around him, all of them either heading towards back to the street or into the art gallery. The sun was still high in the sky, but despite the clear view of it, the sky was beginning to darken. A 

rainstorm had been reported for later that day, but Tamara was hoping that they would catch Valson first before the storm started.

They made their ways into the building, walking through the double glass doors and into a wide, spacious room. Tamara pulled off her hat and held it at her side. Alex looked around him and saw an information desk positioned in the center of the room. The lobby was styled in almost the exact same way the exterior of the gallery was. Alex saw two staircases, both of them leading towards a small balcony which looked over the ground floor. Along the walls, there were various paintings and art pieces positioned almost symmetrically, making the room look more ultra-modern than it already was. All around Alex, people were bustling about. He could hear shouts of laughter, men and women talking with one another, and even a few children running about the room, then being scolded by their mothers.

Alex felt Tamara suddenly nudge him, and continued to follow her. They made their way through the crowd, sticking close together. Anybody who passed by them would mistake them as a boyfriend and girlfriend –partly because Alex was nearly as tall as Tamara – admiring the many different varieties of paintings hanging on the walls. As they walked, Alex's hand slightly brushed up against Tamara's, who looked over at him and briefly smiled at him. Alex lamely smiled back, but immediately turned his gaze away from her, pretending to be looking for something.

He quickly cursed himself under his breath. Sure, Tamara was twenty-five and he was only fifteen, but…

No. Alex reminded himself that they were sent here only to find out more about Michael Valson, and nothing else. He tried shifting his mind from thinking about Tamara to thinking about Sabina, who couldn't be more than a few miles away at this very moment. He thought back to the dinner that he, she, and Jack had had just a few months ago. It had all went very well, but Alex remembered that she had said she met someone at her school. He couldn't remember the name of the boy, but Sabina said that they weren't going out. Alex was partially relieved to hear that at the time.

Now, however, Alex was starting to wonder what she was doing. Was she dating that boy now? What was she doing right now? Was she thinking of him right now?

Tamara proceeded to turn down a near-empty corridor, lined with soft-glowing light fixtures placed along each of the walls, casting the room in a dim glow of orange light. Alex barely took any of this in as he walked next to her, still partially lost in his own thoughts. He didn't even see the dark figure step out from around the corner and start walking towards them. All he heard was Tamara's cry of surprise, and then a _thud _as her body hit the wooden floor. Alex snapped back to reality and swung up his watch at the figure approaching him, and pressed a button on the watch. He was a taken back by the actual brightness of the light that was shot from the watch and into the man's face. He almost had to cover his own eyes from the brightness as it illuminated the room. He caught a glimpse of the man covering his face, cursing with surprise and humiliation as stumbled back and fell to the ground. Alex switched the light off of his watch, and ran towards Tamara, who was unconscious, but alive. He quickly reached into his shirt and pulled out the necklace that Smithers had made for him, and jabbed down three times onto 

the middle of the small Chelsea medallion. He lowered the necklace back down into his shirt, and stood up from where Tamara now lay. He heard footsteps behind him, and whirled around quickly.

He glanced up at the ceiling and quickly took aim at the large chandelier hanging from it. He pressed a button on his watch and watched as a cyan-blue beam of light shot out from it, hitting the chain that held the chandelier. With a jerk of his wrist, Alex was able to use the laser to cut through the metal chain perfectly, and watched in amazement as the huge hunk of glass and metal dropped to the ground, on top of the two men approaching Alex. He didn't dare look back at the two men who lay either unconscious or dead behind him.

Suddenly, the doors behind him burst open, and Alex whirled around once more, aiming his watch at whoever just came into the room. He immediately lowered it, though, at the sight of a shotgun barrel aimed towards him. He slowly stood up, raising his hands into the air.

The man who held the shotgun glared at Alex. "I take it that you're that Rider boy," he said with a strong Russian accent. He was rather overweight, his large belly nearly spilling out of his shirt.

Alex stared at the man straight in the eye. "I take it you had too many donuts this morning," he replied.

The man's face hardened. He walked to Alex, and quickly swung the shotgun at Alex's side, which struck him and sent him down in pain. He bent down over Alex, and yanked his necklace from his neck. Without hesitation, the man crushed the medallion easily in his hand.

"You and your lady friend are going to come with me," the man said menacingly. "Valson isn't here, but he wants me to deal with you two personally."


	10. Chapter 10: Hazardous Fireworks

Alex was helpless as the man with the shotgun dragged him down a flight of stairs from the second floor, who was followed by another man. The man held a pistol in his left hand and had hold of Tamara's arm, who was now conscious. Alex had not seen anybody else as they left the hallway and made their way through the building, and supposed that the second floor of the art gallery restricted anyone from being there. He doubted this though, because he had not seen any guards or signs prohibiting visitors from entering the second floor.

He glanced over at Tamara, who was seemingly studying him. Her face was fixed into an expression of reassurance towards him, but Alex also sensed a hint of fear coming from her. He allowed himself to be pulled by the man who still held him at gunpoint. Tamara wasn't putting up a fight with the other man, either.

Alex suddenly tumbled and fell onto the ground. Tamara's eyes widened as he lay on the ground, only getting up after the man had pressed the barrel of the shotgun to his back. Alex continued walking, and out of the corner of her eye, Tamara saw him fiddle with something in his hand. She looked back at his face, which was full of determination. She felt the other man behind her jab his pistol into her back, and she picked up her pace.

They were now in a different part of the ground floor of the gallery. The room that they were currently in was rather spacious, but it was divided up by three plaster walls, which divided the room into four parts. In the part of the room that they were now in, Alex saw various paintings hanging from the walls. He quickly glanced around him, and speedily made his move.

Without warning, he chucked a small, gray cube-like object out from his clenched fist, and dove to his right as the object exploded. Tamara took her chance and lashed out backwards with her foot towards the man with the pistol. Her foot caught him in the groin and sent him down.

-

When he had pretended to fall on accident, Alex had grabbed one of the explosives out of his shoe and had armed it when he stood back up. He had it primed it and silently counted down the ten seconds until the detonation would commence.

-

Alex also attacked the man behind him with the shotgun. He rose from the ground and charged at the overweight man, who was about to take aim at him when Alex leapt from the ground and tackled the man to the ground. Alex slammed his fist into the man's gut, causing the man to suddenly start wheezing for air. He dropped the shotgun, which Alex picked up. Tamara picked up the pistol that was laying on the ground next to her and nodded over at Alex.

"Good thinking," she said. "Now let's get out of here!"

Alex couldn't agree more. He swung the shotgun at the large man, which hit him on the side of his head. He was knocked out on impact, and Alex turned back to Tamara.  


"Which way do we go?" he asked.

Instead of answering him, she grabbed his arm and dragged him with her behind the plaster wall. Alex suddenly heard the ricochet of bullets smack into the wall where he was just standing. He quickly swung up the shotgun and held it at his side, afraid that he'd have to use it. Tamara, however, shouted to him over the gunfire and told him otherwise.

"Alex, come on!" she shouted at him. "Follow me!"

Alex looked back at her, watching her bend around the wall to return fire at the other gunmen. He heard one of them fall to the ground. He looked behind her and watched as the wall started to splinter due to the bullets whipping into it.

She shot a few more rounds towards the gunmen then sprinted forward, with Alex quickly following her. He tossed the shotgun aside, and let it slide across the marble flooring into the corner. He could feel the aim of the men's weapons on him, but he and Tamara quickly ran through a set of oak wooded double-doors and were making their way down a long staircase.

They made their way into the lobby, which was still very busy. Tamara quickly raised the gun and let out a warning shot into the air, which triggered numerous screams from around the room. Alex started to make his way through the now-chaotic crowd, with Tamara right at his side. It was smart of her to cause a panic here, because it would give them a better chance of escaping unharmed.

They finally reached the glass doors and rammed their way through them, ending up on the street. Tamara quickly glanced in both directions down the road for some sort of transportation, and saw a taxi coming towards them. She quickly ran out onto the street and aimed her weapon at the driver, but with no intention to kill him. The driver suddenly slammed on his brakes and opened his door. He fell out of the car, but quickly scrambled up and ran in the opposite direction. Alex felt a pang of guilt for the man, but knew that the sooner he and Tamara had gone, the sooner they'd be safe.

Tamara ran over to the driver's side of the taxi and got in it, closing the door behind her. Alex got into the passenger seat beside her, closing his door as well. Before Tamara had gotten the chance to accelerate forward, a sudden burst of gunfire was heard, and Alex ducked his head in horror as the passenger seat window was blown out, as well as half of the windshield.

Slamming her foot onto the gas pedal, Tamara shot the taxi forward. Alex dared a look behind him, and saw a black jeep speeding towards them, a mounted machinegun resting on the top of it. The man who had shot at them with it was kneeling behind it, taking aim again.

Tamara must have noticed this, as well, for she started to swerve in and out of the busy afternoon traffic. Alex opened the passenger door window, and slightly leaned out of it. Tamara reached over to him with one hand and put her hand on his back to keep him from tumbling out of the car. Alex extended his hand with the watch on it and quickly pressed one of the buttons on it, and once again, the blue beam of energy was shot from it, hitting the car's hood. Alex struggled to keep his aim at the car, 

and attempted to cut through the car's drunk and disable their engine. He found that it took several seconds to burn through a single part of the hood, and Alex decided against taking all that time to do it. Instead, he switched the laser off, and pressed another button, which shot the intense beam of light out of it. Alex brought his aim up towards the driver, but found that the light simply bounced off of the windshield, obviously having no effect. Alex brought himself back into the car, hatching another idea.

He quickly bent down to his right shoe and unclipped another explosive from it. He activated the timer, and leaned out the window once more, taking careful aim. He let eight seconds tick by until he finally dropped the explosive on the ground, making sure that no pedestrians were nearby who could get caught in the radius of the explosion.

The explosion, Alex knew, would be enormous.

And it was. Alex had timed it precisely, and had dropped the explosive at just the right moment for it to cause the most damage. It was directly underneath the back end of the jeep when it detonated, and Alex had to pull his head into the car to protect his face from the debris that had been blown out by the explosion.

Tamara started to slow the taxi down a bit after she witnessed the explosion. She looked over at Alex, bewildered.

Alex shrugged. "Smithers hasn't let me down yet," he said simply.


End file.
